Apoptosis and Stem Cells in Cancer Development and Therapy

为了改善癌症治疗，我们正在研究两个癌症特征：增强的细胞存活和干细胞样行为。正如我们所发现的，细胞死亡通常在癌细胞中被阻止。因此，我们正试图开发一种药物来打开自然的“细胞死亡开关”。干细胞是一种罕见的细胞，可以产生整个组织，就像我们在乳房中展示的那样。某些癌症可能是由“流氓”干细胞引起的。如果是这样的话，根除大块肿瘤中的这些罕见细胞可能需要新的治疗方法。

To improve cancer therapy, we are studying two cancer hallmarks: enhanced cell survival and stem cell-like behaviour. As we discovered, cell death is often blocked in cancer cells. Hence, we are attempting to develop drugs that flip the natural ‘cell death switch’. Stem cells are rare cells that generate entire tissues, as we showed for the breast. Certain cancers may be driven by ‘rogue’ stem cells. If so, eradication of these rare cells within the bulk tumour may require novel therapies.